A fun-filled detective story

A blend of mystery, supernatural tale and love story, The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man borrows from several genres but ultimately gets by on its humor. W. Bruce Cameron, best known for his dog-centered fiction series and the memoir 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, uses his own past as a repo man to craft the character of Ruddy McCann, failed college football star who now plays the sometimes dangerous game of seizing autos from their delinquent owners.

Whodunit Column by Bruce Tierney

Early on in Steve Mosby’s serial killer thriller, The Murder Code, Detective Inspector Andy Hicks makes this observation about murder: “It does help to think of it like a building. You have the boardroom, the bedroom, the bar and the basement. Murder always originates in one of those rooms. Always. People kill each other for money; they do it out of jealousy or desire; they get...

Feature by Julie Hale

Black History Month is a special period of celebration and commemoration—a time for looking back at the individuals and events that made progress possible. In honor of this special time, BookPage has rounded up a group of new picture books that chronicle some of the highlights of the African-American legacy.MAKING SPIRITS SOARIn Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper, Ann...

7 questions with . . . Shane W. Evans

Shane W. Evans' Underground, a spare and dramatic depiction of the Underground Railroad, is highlighted as part of February's Black History Month picture book roundup. Reviewer Robin Smith praises the "stunning simplicity" of the illustrations, writing: "[Evans] respects the young audience and makes us want to join in...

Feature by Robin Smith

Every year as Black History Month approaches, dozens of excellent children’s books on the subject arrive in my mailbox. It’s always a joy to discover new selections for my library and classroom. Here are three of my favorites from this year’s offerings.Shane W. Evans’ Underground is a good choice for the youngest readers. As soon as parents and teachers introduce books...

Puppy love

Touching and amusing in equal measure, W. Bruce Cameron’s A Dog’s Purpose examines the love shared by canines and their people from the canine’s point of view. Cameron’s puppy protagonist takes readers on a journey through his life—or rather, lives, because this very special dog lives and dies several times, searching always for his life’s purpose.Starting...

Behind the Book by Heidi W. Durrow

I started writing The Girl Who Fell from the Sky after reading a haunting news story about a young mother—recently depressed and despondent—who led her kids to her building’s rooftop, and apparently pushed the children off and then jumped.Reporters interviewed neighbors and friends who spoke of the young mother’s fierce devotion to her children. She’d had a recent...